As I mentioned in yesterday's subscribers-only letter, I've been to Chile numerous times, and I like it more each time I'm here. For this trip, which is unfortunately short, I wanted to survey the countryside to see the extent of the earthquake damage.

Panamanians are generally a carefree lot... but there are a few things that they curiously take very, very seriously. Mother's Day is one example-- it's held in December, and the entire country shuts down for the day, including banks and government offices.

Voting is another example-- it's actually compulsory in Panama to go to the polls, and the government ensures that you don't have any excuses by[...] Click here to continue reading

I've been pleasantly surprised this week by some recent changes in Panama that continue to demonstrate this country's positive momentum.

Yes, there is still corruption, squalor, pollution, and traffic amidst the soaring condominium towers and luxury car dealerships. But the larger point to capture is that Panama is clearly on an upward trend-- month by month, it becomes better, nicer, more modern.

My weekend in New York City with fellow Atlas 400 members was really spectacular and first class all the way. There were about 50 of us in total, all with varied and interesting backgrounds from all over the world-- a renowned heart surgeon, a music business mogul, a couple of best-selling authors, successful entrepreneurs, etc.

I want to start off today by once again thanking you for all the well-wishing emails after my operation this week. I read through a large backlog of email last night, and I was truly humbled by all the positive energy and goodwill out there. Thank you.

If you'll kindly indulge me, I will jump right into this week's questions.

First, Jeff writes, "Simon- you really called the gold/euro short (XAUEUR), I'm up 25% since you mentioned it. Where do you see it going now?"

The European-induced panic is causing a rush to 'quality' once again. The dollar has surged, Treasuries rallied, and just about everything else fallen, including oil, silver, and that third-world[...] Click here to continue reading

Do you remember that really awkward phase we all went through as adolescents?

Growth spurts, voice changes, menstruation, and yes, pimples-- in the end, while we all came out of it more mature and grown up, there was a difficult and sometimes painful transition period in which we had to learn how to deal with new realities.

It appears that not all is amiss with sovereign debt: Panama may be one of the only bright spots, at least in the western hemisphere... the country recently had its debt rating upgraded by Fitch to 'investment grade' with a positive outlook.

Now, I have been quite vocal about my disdain for the ratings agencies... these organizations completely missed the boat before the financial crisis, slapping AAA[...] Click here to continue reading

One of reasons that a lot of people are hesitant about making a move overseas is because they're concerned about being isolated. The world can be a cruel place, especially to newbies.

Sure there are the nomads out there who want to be left alone with their little slice of paradise in the middle of nowhere... but most people crave some human interaction from time to time, especially[...] Click here to continue reading

It's "Judgment Day" in Thailand. I wrote about this on Monday-- a Thai high court will rule today on the disposition of ousted former PM Thaksin Shinawatra's frozen assets valued at several billion dollars.

According to the mainstream media, the entire country is supposed to erupt in chaotic and violent protests today. Even BloombergTV, which I normally respect, has been running sensationalized stock footage of fires, vandalism, and[...] Click here to continue reading

I couldn't believe what I was hearing... and I found myself wondering out loud- "Are these people insane??"

Apparently, yes.

I was watching Richard Edelman this morning on Bloomberg Television discussing the latest results of his research and PR firm's annual "trust survey." Edelman takes a scientific poll each year, drawing on a global pool of educated, well-informed people from G20 nations.

I'm happy to report that I seem to be in the final throes of my Asian jet lag-- I finally managed to go to bed and wake up at a reasonable hour.

I appreciate the emails that I received giving me advice about how to deal with it more effectively... honestly though, I think time is the best remedy for everything. With jetlag, I take a "sleep when[...] Click here to continue reading

Greetings once again from Mexico; I'm sure many who listen to the mainstream press would be amazed to find that I have spent 48 hours on the ground here with nary a swine flu infection nor simple mugging to report.

Panama is a popular destination for expats, and for good reason. But there are some critical property traps that you should be aware of if you’re looking to buy.

The first trap to watch out for is the tax law; for years, the government stimulated the real estate industry by promising property tax exoneration for up to 20-years. In order to qualify, a project must have been[...] Click here to continue reading

I see a lot of opportunity in Panama right now for entrepreneurs and small businesses; in fact, I see more opportunity here than in just about every other country in the western hemisphere with few exceptions.

Why?

Panama has two strong emerging consumer markets.

The first is the obvious low hanging fruit: foreigners. Their ranks in Panama are growing by the day, swelling the[...] Click here to continue reading

Isolated in the Chiriqui highlands of Panama's western-most province, the town of Boquete might as well be in a different country. Practically all you hear is English-- the local Panamanians have excellent language skills, and there are more gringos per capita here than just about any other place in Panama.

It's a beautiful day in the Panamanian highlands, and I'm taking the opportunity to explore the countryside for undervalued land deals. The Chiriqui province of Panama, where I am now, is sort of like the Panamanian version of Texas-- fiercely independent and proud... locals consider themselves to be citizens of Chiriqui first, and Panamanians second.

Blair is in her early 40s from Southern California. She's intelligent, fairly aggressive, and an experienced financial executive at a mid-sized manufacturing company. In total, she has about $250,000 in savings, some of which she used to buy property in Panama.

She is single with no children and has been traveling to Panama to plant flags since 2006. She plans on (semi) retiring there in another 5-years and has unfortunately learned a lot of[...] Click here to continue reading

For a future expat, there are three places worth seriously considering in Central America-- Panama, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Much is written about Panama, and rightfully so; the country is the most stable, economically liberal, and business oriented.

Not to be completely ignored, though, Costa Rica has its own merits that are certainly worth an honorable mention.

I've been on the ground in Panama for a week, and thus far, the majority of my time has been spent investigating the sustainable community concept that I wrote about several weeks ago.

To refresh your memory, the idea is to develop a small, cost-effective, subscribers-only expatriate community in Panama that focuses on sustainability over luxury. Frankly, other developers laugh when I discuss the concept and[...] Click here to continue reading

A few weeks ago, I told you about a new private vault facility that was opening soon in Panama called "Best Safety Boxes." At the time, I had not personally checked out the facility but at least wanted to make you aware of its opening.

Nazi leadership realized long ago that one of the chief ways you instill fear and obedience in the people is to take away their ability to fight back. This is a time-tested method of making the people afraid of the government, and thus preventing the converse.

I receive a lot of subscriber questions, and while I cannot answer them all, I wanted to specifically address three of them that key in on recurring themes in this community-- second citizenship, investing, international opportunities, corporate structures, banking, and gold/silver storage.

1) Paul asks-- "I was wondering what your 1st choice would be in setting up an online business offshore. Which country would be best for business structure, hosting, and merchant accounts?"

So much for BMW's run-flat tires. Believe it or not, I'm actually sitting on the side of the A3 motorway in central Germany, about halfway between Frankfurt and Munich, waiting for the tow-truck to arrive.

Apparently you're supposed to be able to drive on these tires even when they're flat... and with such confidence in their country's manufacturing capabilities, the German rental car company didn't bother providing me with a spare. Call me old-fashioned,[...] Click here to continue reading

I spent a couple of days this week in a fast BMW with Matt, my friend and business partner. We had a meeting in southern Spain yesterday with a key figure in the world of second passports, and we raced at speeds up to 250 km/h so that we could make the meeting and bring you some tremendously valuable information.

I'm sitting in a comfortable, overstuffed leather chair this morning typing away at this letter while a team of local women give me a traditional Thai foot massage. 30 minutes in the chair will set me back about $4, and I can't think of a better way to part with my money.

Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli has been in office less than 6-months, yet to the extent that it is politically possible, he seems bent on running Panama with the same vision as when he ran the chain of supermarkets that made him one of the country's wealthiest men.

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